Expectations
by KSteinart
Summary: A continuatiion of the Amy and David scene at the end of episode 605, Order and Chaosˇ


**Expectations**

By K. Steinart

A continuation of the final scene in 'Order and Chaos', the fifth episode of season six. The entire original scene, written by Christopher Ambrose, appears in italics.

DISCLAIMER: This "Judging Amy" story is not-for-profit and is purely for entertainment purposes. I do not own the characters and am in no way affiliated with "Judging Amy", it's creators, producers or distributors.

"You've reached the office of Judge Amy Gray. I am currently unavailable, but please leave a message." David hung up before the beep and checked his watch. It was awfully early for her to have already left for the day. He walked down to her chambers. Donna came down the hall as he was jiggling the locked door knob. "Donna, have you seen Amy?"

"She left about an hour ago."

"Why so early?"

"Apparently, there was some kind of trouble with Maxine. The police arrested her or something. Amy left as soon as she heard."

"Thanks." David dialed Amy's cell phone. The phone rang but he was sent to voice mail.

"Hi honey, I heard there was some trouble with your mother. Is there anything I can do? Are we still on for tonight? Get back to me."

Amy got into her car and immediately hit the door lock button. This was a rough neighborhood. She'd left her purse - with her cellphone inside - tucked securely beneath the seat, venturing into the rundown hotel with only her keychain. She hated the idea of her mother staying here alone, but had been unsuccessful at convincing her to return home. "Damn it mom, don't do this again," she cried, flashbacks of her junior year in high school playing over and over in her mind. Her hands shook as she fit the key into the ignition, threw the car in gear, and drove away. Arriving home, she parked in the garage. Amy rubbed her temples as she walked to the house, glad no one was home. She couldn't deal with anything or anyone right at the moment. Her running shoes were sitting on a step, waiting to be carried upstairs. She threw her purse and keys on the table, grabbed the shoes, and went up to her room.

David tried Amy's cell phone again just before he left the office. Still no answer.

Inside the purse on the kitchen table, the phone rang again, stopping before Amy came downstairs. Now dressed in jogging clothes, she grabbed a warm hat out of the closet. The clock read 6:12. Amy stretched briefly, and left for Bushnell Park.

David arrived home at 6:45. The first thing he did was dial the phone.

"You have reached the home of the Grays, and Cassidy (Lauren's voice interrupted). We are unavailable at this time, but please leave a message."

"Hi, me again. I'll just assume we're still having dinner. Call if things change. Hope everything is all right." He hung up and went to take a shower.

The house was dark and no one answered the front door. David walked around back. The patio lights were on, and a light was on in the kitchen, but the back door was locked. He dialed his cell phone. Amy still didn't answer. He dialed again.

"East Hartford Police Department, Precinct 12, Officer Davis speaking."

"Hi, yes, this is Assistant District Attorney David McClaren. I was told that a Maxine Gray was taken into custody earlier. Is she still there?"

"Let me check. Hold on." David waited for the officer to return. "Hello?"

"Yes, I'm still here."

"The charges were dropped and she was released. Detective Avery said she left with Sean Potter from DCF."

'Thank you." David sighed and hung up the phone. The evening was chilly. He flipped up the collar on his warm dress coat, put his hands in his pockets, and settled on the swing to wait.

It was too cold to just sit anymore. _David paced back and forth on the patio._ His watch read 9:05. He debated whether to go out looking, but decided to stay put or they would probably just keep missing each other.She should be along any minute, she's probably somewhere talking to her mother. David reassured himself, trying to push fears about accidents out of his mind. _Amy arrived, stumbling slightly on the walkway as she hurried over to him. "Hi I'm so sorry I'm late." Relief swept over David and he hugged her, glad she was safe. "My mother got arrested."_

_"Yeah, I heard. Is that where you were?" They stepped apart._

_"Yeah I.. I was... uh, earlier, then I went running and ran into Bruce. Anyway, I'm so, so sorry I missed dinner. I can make you something here."_

_"You were with Bruce this whole time?" David was no longer smiling._

_"We didn't plan it," Amy explained quickly. "We drank some beer. I just needed to vent. We were just fooling around. He told this really funny story about... like... Xena and a cab... I can't remember it right now, but you can get him to tell you." Confused and hurt, David stared at her. "Anyway, I'm here now, with you, and that's where I want to be."_

_"I'm glad your mom is okay." He tried to move past her. "I've got an early day." _

_"Don't leave David. Are you mad at me?" Amy said, holding on to him, trying to get him to stop. He gave her a pained expression and shook his head slightly. "Do you want to go to the restaurant? I can change."_

_"Don't change," he snapped._

_Amy was near tears. "Don't leave. Please."_

_David turned and walked away, then stopped at the corner of the house. "This is not what I expected." He left. Amy hit her head as if to knock some sense into herself, and began crying as she stood alone on the patio._

"Amy? Are you out here?" Vincent called out the back door. He came outside and sat beside her on the swing. "Nice outfit, do you always dress like a baglady when you go out to dinner?"

"I went jogging."

Vincent sniffed. "Did you jog to a brewery and back?"

"No. I ran into... a friend... and we had a few beers."

"A few?"

"Quite a few. Okay?" Amy took a deep breath. "Did you know mom was arrested this morning?"

"No way. I was at her office this morning, she was fine."

"Obviously it must have been after that. I went by that hotel to talk to her about it."

"And?"

"I think it's happening again Vincent. I told her I wasn't going to save her this time. She's on her own."

"Then you went drinking with this friend?"

Amy nodded unhappily.

"What happened to your dinner date with McClaren?"

"I, um, got sidetracked at the bar and time got away from me. I came home as soon as I realized what time it was, but it was too late."

"Too late?"

"David was mad, or hurt, or something. He left. I... I'm afraid it... might be over."

"Is that what you want?"

Amy put a hand over her mouth to stifle a cry. She shook her head.

"Then do something."

"I apologized. I pleaded with him to stay. I couldn't physically hold him here and make him listen. What else should I have done?"

"Go to him and try again."

"Not tonight." Amy shook her head again.

"Yes tonight." Vincent stood up. "Not like that though. Go get a shower, put on something decent, and for God's sake, gargle. I'll go brew a pot of strong coffee. Come on." He held out his hand. She took it and stood up. _"Regret is worse than fear."_

"What the hell does that mean?" Amy asked as they walked into the house.

Amy parked in David's driveway. She knocked on the door and rang the bell. No one answered. His living room lights were on, so she went over to the window and looked in. David was sitting on the couch, his head tilted back, staring at the ceiling. She rapped on the window. He looked. Amy waved, but he didn't move. She took out her cell phone and dialed. David sat there through four rings. Finally he picked up the phone, but did not say anything. "Hi, it's me," Amy said, "uh, could you please open the door?"

"I don't think so Amy."

"Please?" She was fighting back tears again. "Please David, I am so, so, very sorry. Let me in." He hung up the phone and sat there, staring at her through the window. Finally Amy broke off her gaze. She turned and walked to her car. The front door opened. Amy pushed the car door closed and walked back to the house.

David stood in the open doorway. "I'm sorry. This isn't working for me. I... well, I expected more from our relationship."

"What is it you expect?" Amy asked.

"I expect a mature, responsible, adult woman, not some flighty college kid who forgets commitments because she's out drinking with her buddies."

"That's harsh. You know that's not who I am."

"I'm not sure who you are anymore Amy. We seem to be moving backwards in our relationship. Your behavior lately has been erratic at best."

"I'm sorry." Amy wiped a few tears from her eyes. "My life is... it all... is just... falling down around me. This evening I just couldn't... I had to get away for a little while, you know?"

"No I don't know, because you won't share your life with me Amy."

"I told you, it's too soon for us to move in together."

"No. Share your life. Your worries. Your concerns. Your hopes. Your dreams. You never share any of that with me. Hell, you didn't even bother to tell me your mother was in trouble."

"She didn't tell me. I heard it from Bruce."

"Is that why you went out drinking with him for four hours?"

Amy shook her head. "I didn't."

"I couldn't reach you from five until after nine."

"I left work and went to see my mom. Then I went jogging. I didn't meet Bruce until almost seven."

"That's still two hours. What were you doing with him for two hours?"

"Nothing! Just drinking, swapping stories, that's all."

"So you were just having this great time with your good friend Bruce while I waited in the cold, worried sick that something had happened to you. You could have at least had the courtesy to call."

"I was jogging. I didn't have my phone with me. I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to worry. I just needed to talk to someone."

"I understand you needed to talk. What I can't understand is why you chose to talk to him and not me."

"It was spur of the moment. He was just there... and I --"

"I don't think so. You never talk to me Amy. Whenever I try to discuss something personal you change the subject, or distract me with sex. Why is that? Why can you share your life with him and not with me?"

"I don't know David. I just don't know. What I do know is that I want to be in your arms tonight, not his."

"You were in his arms?"

"No," Amy quickly lied. They stood facing each other, the three feet between them felt like miles. "Please David I don't want to lose you. You're the only good thing in my life right now."

"So tell me. What's wrong with your life Amy?"

She took several large heaving breaths, trying to make the words come, trying to open up to him.

"Forget it. This isn't going to work because for some reason that I can't comprehend, you just can't or won't share --"

"My mother was arrested for striking a child today," Amy blurted out. "She's falling apart and... and living at a dive of a hotel and won't see anyone. Peter finally got off his ass and went to work, but he still lives at my house instead of his own with his wife and children. His business, my father's business, is in serious trouble and could go under at any moment. Vincent has taken over Peter's role as the family bum, lying around the house all day drinking beer. Lauren is spending more and more time at Michael's. I barely see her any more, and when she is home, she won't speak to me. It's like I've become her enemy overnight. I don't know what to do about any of them David. When I'm with you I don't want to think about any of that. I just want to be in the moment, and to be happy, for just a little while." David stepped closer, closing the gap between them and put his arms around her. Amy buried her head on his shoulder and cried.

David sat on the couch, his feet up on the coffee table, Amy snuggled in his arms. "Did you know Lauren and Victor broke up?" Amy asked.

"They did? When?"

"A week or so ago, I'm not sure. It's one of the things she won't talk to me about."

"That might explain why he's been so moody lately."

"By the way, where is Victor?"

"He's at his grandmother's. Again. He's been spending a lot of time over there."

"We need to find out what's up with those two."

David nodded, looking concerned.

"Donna is mad at me."

"Donna? She worships the ground you walk on."

"Not any more. She had her first case today, in my court."

"You ruled against her?"

"No. Actually she won, but now she thinks I hijacked her case."

"Did you?"

"No! I just did my job. I treated her the same way I treat all of the new attorneys."

"Poor Donna."

"Hey." Amy gave him a playful smack.

"You do have a reputation for... um... over mothering them, Judge Gray."

Amy stood up.

"Hey, don't get mad at me. I didn't start the rumor, I'm only relating it," David protested.

"I'm not mad." She leaned down and kissed him. "But it's very late and we have work tomorrow."

Reluctantly, David stood up.

"Walk me to my car?"

He did. Amy opened the car door. David took her in his arms again and kissed her. "Call if you need to talk, I'll leave my phone on," he said.

"How about if I just nudge you awake if I need to talk?" Amy leaned into the car and took out a suitcase. "Do you mind if I leave a few things here in your closet?"

David smiled broadly. "Not at all. I'll show you where to put them."

"See? We're inching forward," Amy said as they walked back into the house together.


End file.
